| The importance of a confident mindset, determination, | | | | an ice skating rink with sneakers on. Part of his brain is |
| focus, skill, practice, effort and a refusal to be | | | | saying: 'I am the higher rank. I should win this match.' |
| intimidated emerged once again at Wimbledon as | | | | Another part is saying: 'It's not my day. People are |
| deciding factors in nearly every match. It is worth | | | | against me.' The second part is winning. But he is not |
| taking a close look at the power of these factors in | | | | out of this yet. He should keep telling himself: 'This isn't |
| some of these matches.Justine Henine-Hardenne had | | | | over'.McEnroe continued: "It's not as bad as it appears |
| won the championship at Eastbourne in the week | | | | to him. It's just that he is looking at the glass half |
| before Wimbledon. She was asked what would be | | | | empty."Massu went down swinging but lost the match. |
| her most important match at Wimbledon. She | | | | His glass was now empty.McEnroe observed after |
| answered 'whichever match comes next'. Her | | | | Andy's win:"The best players maintain a high level of |
| success plan is to focus on the next match without | | | | effort and focus. A good lesson when you are up is |
| worrying about who she would be playing later in the | | | | that you keep pushing and get as far ahead as |
| competition.Most self-help experts teach us that we | | | | possible."Consistent effort pays off in everything |
| need to concentrate on the first or next step and not | | | | including dieting. Those who eat a fairly relaxed diet |
| allow thoughts of future steps to interfere with our | | | | consistently lose more weight than those who eat a |
| current efforts. If we concentrate on one step at a | | | | stricter diet sporadically. It also pays not to celebrate |
| time and complete it to the best of our ability, later | | | | too soon when your diet seems to be working - |
| steps will often take care of themselves. Alcoholics | | | | success can be doubled by pushing on instead of by |
| Anonymous have learned this with their emphasis on | | | | taking it easy too soon.However, the main lesson from |
| one day of sobriety at a time.In the end, Justine lost to | | | | McEnroe's commentary in this game and his own |
| Amelie Mauresmo of France in the Wimbledon final but | | | | behaviour as a player is that we need to get over our |
| her focus on one step at a time helped her to, at least, | | | | disappointments about our own mistakes or life's |
| reach the final.On the second day of Wimbledon, | | | | injustices as soon as possible and then rejoin the fight |
| Federer was asked how he coped with being the | | | | with energy and determination. Cry babies don't usually |
| favourite. His success plan was the same as Justine's. | | | | win anything!Sharapova did not win Wimbledon this |
| He replied:"I have to focus match by match. I cannot | | | | year but she did progress well into the second week. |
| afford to look ahead."People who look ahead at all the | | | | Her secret is that she trains the same way she plays. |
| obstacles they may have to confront tend to give up | | | | Her practice matches involve the same intensity and |
| before they start. Worry about the future dissipates | | | | desire to win as her actual competition matches.This |
| energy. Focus on the present concentrates it. | | | | kind of attitude is also demanded in the martial arts. |
| Federer's plan worked and he became a Wimbledon | | | | Instructors insist that students train as if they were |
| champion once more.Incidentally, some spectators at | | | | fighting for their lives. They will behave on the street in |
| Wimbledon cannot look ahead because people in front | | | | the same way as they behave in the training |
| to them are wearing huge hats. How can they do | | | | hall.Martina Hingis is now playing well after injury |
| that?Is it possible that they think that the frustrated | | | | problems. She was interviewed after a practice match |
| people behind them want to focus on their hats rather | | | | in which she had just beaten James Cracknell, the tall |
| than the match itself? They probably don't bother to | | | | Olympic rowing gold medallist.Martina was asked what |
| think at all. Pardon the rant, but my negative thoughts | | | | advice she would give to Cracknell. She replied "Lots |
| about the mad hatters are now gone!Throughout | | | | of practice like anything else!".Agassi was 36 and this |
| Wimbledon, commentators like former champion, John | | | | was his last Wimbledon but deep down he probably |
| McEnroe, stressed the importance of thinking positively | | | | believed he should get into the second week of |
| and not allowing your own mistakes or unfair line calls | | | | Wimbledon. He is a stickler for preparation. He lifted |
| to make you negative.John, the world expert on | | | | weights to add punch to his serve so that he could win |
| apparently negative behaviour on court, expelled his | | | | easy points. He always has a game plan.His second |
| own negativity by throwing his racquet down on the | | | | round match was against Seppi of Italy . Agassi is |
| court and yelling complaints at the line judges and | | | | Seppi's idol. McEnroe observed that this created an |
| umpires. His most famous comments are:"You cannot | | | | intimidation factor. How can you play better than your |
| be serious! The ball was out! The chalk flew up! | | | | idol?We are all faced with this type of intimidation |
| etc.McEnroe often mentions the importance of | | | | factor in every field of life. There is always some one |
| banishing negative ideas in favour of positive | | | | who appears to be better or tougher than us. If we |
| thoughts.One example occurred when he was | | | | allow such people to dominate us and make us feel |
| commenting on the Nicholas Massu v Andy Murray | | | | inferior, we will fail to discover the extent of our own |
| match. Murray started well and was soon 4 games up. | | | | potential.Instead, we need to learn from our idols |
| One commentator said:"The start's almost too | | | | instead of over estimating themAgassi, for example, |
| good."McEnroe wasn't having this:"Don't get negative | | | | taught many players to return serve with power. |
| now; don't think something bad is going to happen!"Too | | | | Hewitt, as a boy, watched Agassi and said "Hey! I can |
| many of us worry when things start going well for us. | | | | do that too!" Hewitt has the typical Australian attitude: |
| We have been programmed to be wary when things | | | | "No worries - if he can do it, so can I."Agassi plays his |
| seem too good to be true. Our programming tends to | | | | tennis in a business like way. He never wastes a |
| bring about the decline in fortune that we | | | | second on the practice court. He makes every ball |
| anticipate.However, McEnroe warned that Murray | | | | count and practices with intensity. In his competition |
| needed to be careful in case Massu started to believe | | | | matches, he bustles around the court without |
| that he could get something from this match. McEnroe, | | | | appearing to let emotion interfere with his |
| constantly stresses the importance of belief in winning | | | | performance.Eventually, Agassi won the match but |
| matches.However, everything was clicking for Murray | | | | was beaten later in the competition. At some point in |
| and Massu was beginning to look worried. Murray won | | | | the broadcast of this match, one of the commentators |
| the 1st set 6-1 but Massu put up more of a fight in the | | | | came up with this wise remark:"Stick the racquet out |
| secondMcEnroe had practical advice for the losing | | | | and some good things can happen."In other words |
| player: "Massu has to gradually get back into the | | | | have a go; try something and you might get some |
| game. He must cut down on his errors. He must make | | | | good results. If you don't stick your racquet out; if you |
| Murray work harder for his points." McEnroe never | | | | don't take some kind of action, you will never know |
| writes a player off. With effort, belief and a thoughtful | | | | what you might have achieved.Wimbledon 2006 |
| strategy, he can come back and win.However, Massu | | | | teaches us to focus on doing our best one step at a |
| was looking like road runner and had to chase every | | | | time. It tells us to get over any cry baby thoughts as |
| point."Aye, aye, aye" lamented Massu. He drew the | | | | soon as possible. We need to believe in ourselves and |
| crowd in with that cry of pain.He had to get belief from | | | | never write ourselves off.Consistency is more |
| somewhere. He could think about the pressure on the | | | | powerful than occasional flashes of brilliance. We all |
| 19 year old that he was playing.But the 19 year old, | | | | need lots of practice. It helps to be well prepared and |
| Andy Murray from Scotland, was playing well and was | | | | to have a game plan. We should spend more time |
| apparently unaffected by the pressure from the home | | | | learning from others rather than just admiring them. It |
| crowd.McEnroe commented:"Massu looks like he is on | | | | helps to stick out your racquet and see what happens! |